Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

राजोवाच । अहो सुमहदाश्चर्यमिदं दृष्टं तव प्रिये । कथमग्निसमं जातं वपुः पल्लवकोमलम्

Transliteration

rājovāca | aho sumahadāścaryamidaṃ dṛṣṭaṃ tava priye | kathamagnisamaṃ jātaṃ vapuḥ pallavakomalam

Translation

அரசன் கூறினான்—“அஹோ பிரியே! மிகப் பெரிய அதிசயத்தை நான் கண்டேன். மெல்லிய தளிர்போல் மென்மையான உன் உடல் எவ்வாறு அக்கினிபோல் ஆனது?”

Word by Word

• rājā: the king
• rājā: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परिपूर्णभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• aho: ah!/oh!
• aho: Sambandha (Exclamation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: aho (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विस्मयादि-निपात (exclamatory particle)

• su-mahat-āścaryam: a very great wonder
• su-mahat-āścaryam: Karma (Object of perception/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: su (अव्यय) + mahat (प्रातिपदिक) + āścarya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (विशेषण-विशेष्यभावः: ‘सुमहत् आश्चर्यम्’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• idam: this
• idam: Karma (Apposition/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम ‘इदम्’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• dṛṣṭam: seen
• dṛṣṭam: Karma (Predicate to idam/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (धातु) → dṛṣṭa (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; ‘seen’

• tava: your
• tava: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम ‘त्वद्’; षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• priye: O beloved
• priye: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: priyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, संबोधन (8th), एकवचन

• katham: how
• katham: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्न-क्रियाविशेषण (interrogative adverb)

• agni-samam: like fire
• agni-samam: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: agni (प्रातिपदिक) + sama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण—‘अग्निसदृशम्’

• jātam: has become
• jātam: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jan (धातु) → jāta (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; ‘become’

• vapuḥ: body
• vapuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vapus (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• pallava-komalam: tender like a sprout
• pallava-komalam: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pallava (प्रातिपदिक) + komala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण—‘पल्लववत् कोमलम्’

Speaker

King

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka-group (frame assumed; not explicit in excerpt)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king, startled yet tender, addresses the queen: her body appears soft like a sprout, yet radiates fire; the moment freezes into a questioning gaze.

Characters & Entities

• King
• Queen

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True spiritual power can transform apparent softness into protective strength through purity and tapas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is referenced in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None stated; the question leads into the explanation of mantra initiation and discipline.